Lack of tourists & local crowd causes Chinatown Food Street to close after 20 years

Singapore — Yet another business was unable to cope amid the Covid-19 pandemic, this time, it was an entire street of hawker food stalls that’s been around for 20 years.

Located on Smith Street, Chinatown Food Street offered an authentic Singapore dining experience for tourists and locals alike.

Whether it’s the 50-cent fest, King of Fried Rice, Boon Tat BBQ Seafood or Tiong Bahru Meng Roast Duck, the 100-metre street upheld its reputation as a must-try dining attraction in Singapore.

It was revamped in 2013 by Select Food Group – a S$4 million project – and successfully attracted crowds to its iconic cuisines showcasing local cultures.

From complaints that the area was hot or congested, it saw improvements to cater to patron needs better.

A high-glass canopy shelter and internal spot cooling system made dining al-fresco more enjoyable. The area was also fully pedestrianised for visitors.

On Friday (Oct 22), the food street shut its lights permanently as there were not enough foot traffic to make ends meet.

A Select Group representative told Straits Times that they would no longer continue operations as there were “no tourists or local crowd” and tenants were unable to pay rent.

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) director of arts and cultural precincts Lim Shoo Ling said they had worked with Select Group to provide support measures such as rental waivers for the hawkers and financial support for marketing campaigns.

“We will continue to work closely with the relevant agencies to explore options for the site, and more details will be shared in due course,” said Ms Lim. /TISG

Read related: KF Seetoh questions why the 34 hawker centres are being closed “as they struggle to fend for themselves”

KF Seetoh questions why the 34 hawker centres are being closed “as they struggle to fend for themselves”